What does it mean, “Faith in Christ Jesus?”
To fully understand what it means to have faith in Jesus Christ, one must do the whole hearted never ending seeking of, finding and following absolute truth to experience it for one’s self. Merely reading about someone’s faith in Christ Jesus and what it means to follow Christ Jesus the only begotten Son of God comprises by far more than I or anyone can ever express to you in this or any article. Although you as a non-believer may not understand, this article however, is the means in which I’m using to give to you an insight into my life following the teachings of Jesus Christ and my faith in His being the only savior of my and your sins giving to those who have faith in Him the promises made by God to us in the Holy Bible which is eternal life with the infinitely pure love of God.
So what does ‘faith in Christ Jesus’ mean? Unlike what many nonbelievers think it isn’t ‘blind faith’ into something which has no evidence. There is more evidence that points to Jesus’ existence, life, teachings, death and resurrection than evidence about anyone else in history. The Holy Bible too has passed the test of time and scrutiny. Within that evidence, evidence exists that point to Jesus being crucified on a cross and of His resurrection from death with eyewitnesses’ testimonies from resources in addition to that within the Holy Bible’s New Testament. Almost two thousand years the evidence of Jesus Christ has stood the test of time proving to be true again and again. Faith in Jesus Christ also isn’t faith in a ‘myth’ in that the timeframe and the facts do not lend themselves to the needed extended timeframes and exaggerations that which myths are derived. This article however is not what ‘faith in Christ Jesus’ is not. This article is what ‘faith in Christ Jesus’ is and you can if you choose, research and seek the truth about the facts as I have to discover the truth for yourself and not just take my word for it. You can start your search at Finding Truth Today FAQ where you will find many resources to assist you in your honest quest for truth.
Truly placing one’s faith in Jesus Christ means a lot of changes in one’s life. The largest change in my life was the way everything brightened up. Not only the way I looked at things, the way I saw everything cleared up and it all fell together in beautiful order. My thinking became uncluttered, ordered and clearly allowing me to know the truth. I have no worries because I know that God has plans for me to prosper.(Jeremiah 29:11) My faith in Jesus Christ allows me to have hope.(Psalms 39:7) Hope in my future not only here on earth now, it also gives me hope that I will be with God, reunited with my loved ones and friends after my death.(Matthew 7:21) Another change in my life due to my faith in Jesus Christ is the way I look at material things.(1 Timothy 6:9) Knowing that everything comes from God and is God’s and that I am only a tiny mist in the vast universe and nothing can I take with me when I die, I no longer pursue to acquire material objects nor do I wish to attain great monetary wealth as I did before.(James 4:13-17) A change too is the way I look at work in that I am no longer just working for my boss; I am ultimately working for God. With my working for God and not just my boss at work, I want to make sure that everything that I do is pleasing to God. This helps greatly when the boss is not such a good boss to work with as God is a wonderful boss.(Ecclesiastes 5:19)
Walking with faith in Jesus Christ in this world today is not an easy task. Truly placing one’s faith in Jesus Christ means that one is to put aside one’s will of doing things and to follow the will of how God wants one to do things. For me, this isn’t an easy task on a number of levels each of which consist of various intensities and difficulties brought about mainly by my personality and the overall worldview of someone who walks with faith in Jesus Christ. By far my personality does not lend itself to Christ Jesus’ teachings of loving and caring for those who persecute me by me humbling myself to do that which Jesus taught… especially when a nonbeliever curses me out for no reason other than my placement of faith in Jesus or having stated my faith in Jesus Christ as my savior as happens almost daily. Without my faith in Jesus, I would as I had prior to my placing my complete faith in Him, would and did tear into anyone who crossed my path lowering myself to a level which only escalated the worst reactions from all participants. My faith in Jesus has allowed me to lean on His infinite wisdom and strength to overcome my personality’s first reaction’s preferred response to a response from Christ Jesus’ teachings. Although I have not perfected it, I have learned through Jesus’ teachings to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.(Proverbs 14:29; 15:18; 16:32; 19:11, James 1:19)
Having faith in Jesus Christ as I do does not automatically give me (or anyone) a pass from temptation being there to allure me into doing something which I should not be doing. Temptation is always there for everyone and even more so when a person is following Jesus’ teachings and has faith in Him due to Satan (2 Corinthians 11:14) who directs the worldly view and pressures one to live an immoral life. My faith in Christ Jesus lets me to draw upon His knowledge and strength to resist temptation allowing me to find the exit from the temptation which is alluring me. Temptation to just follow my own will and to forgo following God’s will is always prominent in my life as it is with all followers of Jesus Christ. Again my personality (and yours too I’m sure) is always being tempted to look where it shouldn’t, want what it can’t afford, want to go where we shouldn’t be, etc. Understanding what sin is and that it is not God who tempts and that it is Satan who does all temptation(James 1:13), helps me to overcome the temptation which comes in my life because I know that there is always an exit for me to escape from the temptation. Be the exit just my looking away from what is tempting me to my not buying something that I cannot afford, or me punching someone in the face, the strength I get through God’s giving me the knowledge of how temptation works, helps me overcome it. It is wonderful and freeing to be in the presence of God’s great love for me and having His strength and understanding for me to lean upon when temptation comes my way.(1 Corinthians 10:13)
With faith in Jesus Christ I still experience pain and suffering but the experience I have with it is one which you as a non-believer will not understand. Both pain and suffering still hurt yet they do not hurt in the same way you as a non-believer hurt with your pain and suffering.(2 Corinthians 7:10) Accepting Jesus as your savior may not take away any pain and suffering you are or will experience here on earth but you can be assured that by your accepting Jesus as your savior you will go to Heaven after you die and there is no pain and suffering there. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.(1 John 4:18) I have learned to look beyond my pain and suffering to God’s perfect plan for me. God sent His only begotten Son to give His life for me so that I only need to accept this fact so that I do not have to suffer pain for eternity. Also, God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.(Romans 5:8) Christ Jesus took upon everyone’s sin suffering for each and every one of us for what we did. With Christ Jesus’ suffering the pain of all of my sins including yours and everyone else’s sins, in comparison, what complaint do I have about my pain and suffering?(Hebrews 2:9)
I’m sure that at this point (most likely way before this point), some of you nonbelievers are rolling over in laughter, mocking me with some of your worldly views and are in total disbelief of what I have written as nothing more than some “Dumb-Dumb” who has bought into the “myths” of an “ancient belief” of a bunch of political religious rulers who just wanted to rule over people with a bunch of made up rules and religious rituals. I’ve heard much worse from your type and hear it almost every day. I told you at the start of the article that you most likely will not understand. To you nonbelievers who have never even thought about a personal relationship with Christ Jesus because you choose to not believe that there is a God who wants a loving personal relationship with you; you are missing out on the most beautiful relationship you could ever have when you choose to not have a relationship with Jesus Christ. To me, Christ Jesus is the light at the end of the tunnel which directs me to absolute truth and is pure love. Following Jesus Christ gives me hope and a future.(Job 11:13-20)
Yes, I know that some of you nonbelievers ‘say’ that you used to ‘believe’ in Jesus Christ. There is a huge difference in ‘saying’ that you believe in Jesus Christ and actually taking the step and placing your ‘faith’ into Christ Jesus. The difference being in that even the demons and Satan ‘believe’ in Jesus Christ(James 2:19); although they do not have a personal relationship with Christ Jesus. The only way for you, me or anyone to experience a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is to place our faith into Him as our savior from our sins; who is the only begotten Son of God, died on the cross in place of us to take upon Himself our sins, then rose from the dead on the third day so that we can also be with His Father in Heaven.(John 3:16-21) Once you truly place your ‘faith’ into Jesus and truly feel His love for you, you will not want to ever let it go.
Again, to fully understand what it means to have faith in Jesus Christ, one must experience it for one’s self. God respects your freedom. If and only if we love the truth with our heart, our mind, and soul will we find the truth about God. The choice to seek for the truth is a free choice. And all true seekers find. The verses below come from the Holy Bible and each claim – that all seekers find God – are testable by experience, by experiment.
Deuteronomy 4:29 – But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.
Jeremiah 29:13 – You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Proverbs 8:17 – I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me.
If you are honest about finding the truth, here is a way to see if Christianity is true or not. Tell Christ Jesus that you are seeking the truth. Ask Him to fulfill His promise that all who seek Him will find Him. In His own time, of course. He promised that you will find, but He did not promise a schedule. God’s a lover, not a train.
But; you may reply: I don’t even know whether Christ is God. I do not even know whether there is a God. That’s okay because you can pray the prayer of the skeptic:
Lord Jesus, I don’t know if you even exist. I am a skeptic. I doubt. I think you may be only a myth. I am however not certain, (at least when I’m completely honest with myself). So if you really do exist, and if you really did promise to reward all seekers, you must be hearing me now.
So I hereby declare myself a seeker, a seeker of the truth, whatever it is and wherever it is. I want to know the truth and live in the truth. If you are the truth, please help me.
If Christianity is true, God will answer your prayer. Such a prayer constitutes a scientifically fair test of the Christian “hypothesis” – that is, if you do not put any unfair restrictions on God, like demanding a miracle – your way not His – or certainty by tomorrow – your time, not His. The demand that God act like your servant is hardly a scientifically fair test of the hypothesis that there is a God who is your King.
But all this King asks for at first is honesty, not faking a faith you do not have. Honesty is a choice of the will – the choice to seek the truth no matter what or where. This is the most momentous choice you can make. It is the choice of light over darkness, ultimately heaven over hell.
Warning: If you honestly pray the skeptic’s prayer it will change your life because you will experience the presence of God and at that time you will know without doubt that God exists and that He wants to have a loving, personal relationship with you. God will not force you to love Him back nor will He force you to accept His only begotten Son Christ Jesus as your savior. The choice is still up to you to either accept God’s love and Christ Jesus as your savior. I suggest that you make a wise choice.